The Fuel of Life
Crisis, What Crisis? Jim Callaghan was plagued by the suggestion that when asked about the problems troubling his government he responded ‘Crisis, What Crisis?’ Callaghan was too astute a politician to say such a thing. The words were actually the work of the Sun newspaper. I was reminded of the phrase this week when I ran out of petrol. It could be the slogan of the current government and provides an interesting insight into their approach to emergency management. An excess of demand over supply for a product is a matter for the private sector. We are content for the invisible hand of economics to work its magic. However, when the commodity is an essential item, such as fuel, it becomes a matter of national concern. We can’t function as a society without fuel. Perhaps one day soon our reliance on fossil fuels will be an embarrassing part of our history, but not yet. At the moment we see long queues at petrol stations and closed forecourts. Doctors, nurses, teac